Police chase leads to felony charges

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Michigan man faces felony charges after police say he led them on a high-speed chase on Interstate 77 Saturday afternoon.

Police say Michael David Woodard, 43, of Clarkston, MI, was driving a reportedly stolen Chevy Impala at 85 mph in a 70 mph zone when an officer attempted to pull him over.

The chase started around 3:45 p.m. at the 89-mile marker of Interstate 77 in Marmet, according to documents filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.

The man then sped up to 100 mph and passed other vehicles on the shoulder of the road, according to police. When he tried to exit at Chelyan, Woodard crashed into the guardrail but kept going, according to police.

The man continued another 15 miles with a flat tire before losing control in a grassy area on Interstate 77, according to police.

The man allegedly refused to show police his hands as he exited his vehicle and then attempted to get into a police cruiser, according to police.

Woodard is charged with obstruction, fleeing in a vehicle causing property damage, leaving the scene with property damage and possession of a stolen vehicle.